Tips for taking kids out of school to travel

Those of us who travel with kids know that travel is an educational experience. And family travel gets much more affordable after Labor Day, once kids are back in the classroom. So what's a traveling family to do? Consider taking the kids out of school for family travel.

Here are four tips for taking kids out of school to travel:

Ÿ Talk with the teacher first. Is your child doing OK in her class? Would missing a few days of school really hurt that much? If so, think about whether traveling during school is the right thing to do. If you would miss your brother's wedding, it's one thing. If you would miss a deal on a trip to Disney, it's something else.

Ÿ Don't ask the teacher to give your child assignments to complete during the trip. Most teachers don't have lesson plans sketched out that far ahead of time. And even if your child's teacher does, why should she have to work harder so you can go on an affordable family vacation?

Ÿ Offer to have your child do a report or presentation on the trip once you return.This can be the “educational” part of the trip. Depending on the grade level, a child can draw pictures, take photos, write a report or create a PowerPoint presentation.

Ÿ Start early. It's much easier for a kindergartner to miss a week of school than a junior in high school.

Ÿ Cindy Richards is the Editor-in-Chief for TravelingMom.com. Follow her on Twitter @CindyRichards for more tips and ideas about traveling with kids.